Valves may be employed for controlling flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to actuators in hydraulic systems. Some valves may be solenoid operated (e.g., operated in response to an electrical control signal). In a traditional solenoid operated valve, a spring and bearing may be disposed within a magnetic flux collector. An operating member (e.g., a rod or a pin) may be slidably disposed in the bearing, and the operating member may have an armature received thereover. Although in some designs, a flat flapper bearing or spider bearing may be disposed around the operating member; they do not typically allow great displacement. In some valves, an undesired phenomenon referred to as “magnetic side loading and latching” may occur in which the armature comes close to contact with the magnetic flux collector due to the needed tolerance and the resultant excessive clearance between the operating member and the bearing. When this magnetic side loading or latching occurs, the armature may move from side to side within the flux collector, as opposed to strictly up and down within the flux collector, which may impair operation of the valve.